Lily Rose #2, Japanese Floral

Lily Rose was so much fun, I had to do it all over again. Having completed my full size LR, the urge to do another was too much to resist. I dove into a pack of Kaufman “Empress” layer cake squares and discovered that at 75% scale, I could do all the components for LR with the squares. Empress is a Japanese style floral line with metallic trim and gorgeous big blooms. Seeing those blooms fussy cut and arranged in a lovely LR vase was imperative!

A charm square of Klimt fabric from my previous LR was used for the vase outline. Originally, my thought was to use table fabric for the vase, and although I loved that iteration, it simply wasn’t enough of that lush print in the design. That print became the table cloth fabric and is also used in the corner designs.

Fussy cutting the blooms meant that the lilies in Lily Rose were replaced with the sparkling chrysanthemums, very tediously fussy cut and stitched with a very small satin stitch that I discovered on my machine. Where has that stitch been the past two years?

About three quarters way through cutting pattern components, I noticed the butterflies. Butterflies! The luscious blooms had consumed me. I had missed the butterflies and their possibilities. Not all of them had survived the cutting, but I found one intact plus a partial one to work with. Trimming the partial butterfly led to the thought that she could rest delicately on the white bloom, which needed some definition as it was fading into the background fabric.

Superior Threads metallic in gold continued as the main thread choice, as in the previous LR. In addition to a very small blanket stitch, I used the newly discovered small satin stitch which had the effect of mimicking the metallic trim in the fabric. Black Magnifico thread was used on the black flowers and as a second round of stitching on the vase outline to help maintain contrast between different areas of the piece.

The oval frame was no mystery. I had plenty of the Klimt gold from the Klimt LR and was curious to see if the 75% LR oval frame could be cut out of the oval center left over from the full size version. It could!

The scallops outlining the oval frame in the pattern were not utilized in the Klimt LR, due to the Klimt fabric being the star of the piece. This one, however, would need scallops and it immediately seemed that a dark or dramatic scallop row would bring out the fabric colors nicely. A thought emerged that perhaps some lace trim might be utilized in place of the scallops and I was rewarded after an on-line search with lacy trim that is scalloped!

Small daisies adorn the outside of the lace trim scallop. They are placed on top of the gold frame, adding yet another floral and textural dimension while giving the piece a vintage, Victorian look. Some hand stitching was required to secure the scallops.

Keeping the scale of this LR on the smaller side, a single border is used and what better than to borrow again from the Klimt fabrics for a multi-dimensional appearing, metallic glazed gold and black print? My hubby decided the sewing room carpet needed a good shampooing, so I am still waiting to attach my border!

The thought of a third LR is really tugging at me, but I have sewing commitments elsewhere and will need to tuck that desire away on the back burner for now. But if you, dear reader, have some layer cake or charm squares stashed somewhere, this pattern is a fabulous use for them.

Happy stitching!

Lennea